November 2, 1997
Portland Press Herald
CITY, AUDIENCE - page 2E

TASTE & TELL THE GOOD TABLE: CAPE'S ROADSIDE DINING TREAT

After ingesting every crumb of my appetizer, I whispered to my dining partner, ``Do you think I could get away with licking my plate?''

It was a great way to begin our meal at The Good Table, the warm and comfortable restaurant on Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth, just across from the road that leads to Two Lights State Park. Established in 1986 by daughter and father Lisa and Tony Kostopoulos, The Good Table is a roadside dining treat that lives up to its slogan ``honest food, honest prices.''

The Good Table is housed in a small, cape-inspired building complete with window boxes, lobster traps, a wood-burning stove and an enclosed porch for use most of the year.

The night we visited, there were bountiful displays of seasonal produce at the entrance. With a nip in the air, it was the right touch to put us in mood for steaming mugs of mulled cider infused with rum ($3.95), the featured seasonal cocktail of the evening.

Lisa Kostopoulos is the executive chef and official greeter. Her expansive personality makes her the perfect host. She's also an exacting chef. I saw her return to a table where an appetizer had just been served and remove it. She explained to the diners that she could smell a change in the oil used to fry it. She returned with a fresh order.

The restaurant seats 100 people in three areas, including the porch. The walls are decorated with old photos and amusing collections of items such as women's hats from the 1950s. Large windows throw soft light on summer evenings and flood the place during Sunday brunch. Furnishings are plain, floors are bare hardwood, and specials are listed on a blackboard each day.

Though there is no bar area, a selection of house wine is available - hymettos, pendelli, retsina, roditiys, white Zinfandel - at $3.25 a glass, $12 a bottle. There are a limited number of other selections at $15 and $16 a bottle.

Three soups are offered each day, including Tony Kostopoulos' famous fish chowder ($2.25 cup/$3.95 bowl) and several soups of the day ($1.75 cup/$2.75 bowl). Appetizers are listed on the specials board and change daily (95 cents to $5.95).

Entrees, including sandwiches and salads, range from $3.50 to $14.95. Sandwiches served during dinner include Haddockwich with fries and slaw ($5.60), and gyros, a Greek classic of tender strips of beef and lamb ($4.95). Other beef, chicken, fish and Greek entrees come with salads and vegetable side dishes.

Vegetarians are also represented with spanakopita - spinach and feta nestled in fillo ($8.95), several large salads including Greek ($4.95) and such specials as squash stuffed with leeks, vegetables, rice and cheddar ($10.95).

The appetizer that made me want to lick my plate was pan-blackened Cajun oysters ($5.95). These tender delicacies were fried to light perfection and served with a spicy roumalade sauce. They melted in my mouth. The spice on both the oysters and in the roumalade was noticeable but not overpowering. This was truly a delicious dish.

My companion was smiling over a cup of the creamy mushroom soup ($1.75). It was made from a turkey stock and was redolent with cream, butter and mushrooms. It was the best either of us had ever eaten.

The other soup that evening was a spicy Jamaican pepperpot made with root vegetables. Other appetizers were focaccia with sun-dried tomatoes and boursin cheese ($3.95), and a hummus platter with toasted pita bread and cut vegetables ($3.95).

Our house salads were a nice mix of lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, red onion, summer squash, cucumbers and grated carrot. I tried the creamy garlic dressing. It could have been a bit more garlic-intense for my taste, but it was pleasant. My companion had the Greek vinaigrette. Once again, it was mild but flavorful. Our complaint was that there was too much of it. The salads were saturated. We would have been satisfied with a third of the amount served.

For an entree, I chose one of the evening's specials, sesame salmon with carrot, leek, ginger butter sauce and cold sesame noodles ($12.95). The salmon was a generous portion covered with a subtly fragrant sauce of leeks, ginger and carrot. The sesame noodles were a surprising and interesting accompaniment. Flavored with peanut butter and sesame seeds and served cold, they played off the sweet and spicy sauce of the salmon.

My companion chose another special, linguine with grilled chicken, parmesan cream sauce and butternut squash ($10.95). The cream sauce was outrageous - thick and rich with butter, cheese and cream. The chicken breast was moist and served in slices over the pasta. The butternut squash came unadorned as a side dish after it was requested it be served that way. The squash is usually served with the chicken on top of the dish.

Other special offerings that evening were pan-blackened mahi mahi with black bean salsa ($12.95) and twin lobsters with French fries and slaw ($14.95). Off the regular menu, Lisa suggested their best-seller, Cambridge steak tips ($9.95). They are flame-grilled with Lisa's best barbecue sauce. The favorite Greek specialty is Psari Plaki ($9.95) fresh haddock, or Psari scallops ($10.95), baked in a tomato, sweet bell pepper, onion, olive oil and herb sauce.

Eating dessert wasn't a hardship. Every cake, pie and tart is homemade and mouthwatering. Making a choice was difficult.

I selected the chocolate amaretto cake ($2.75). The cake was tender and dark and iced with a light and creamy fudge frosting. It was topped with cherries and almonds, a great compliment to the amaretto flavor. It's available every day, along with cheese and carrot cake.

My companion had the warm apple pie with cinnamon ice cream ($4). It had a delicious crust and crumb topping. The cinnamon ice cream melted in rivulets, making it the perfect fall confection.

Our bill, before tip or tax, was $42.10.

By the time we ended our meal, the restaurant was full and would-be diners were waiting at the door. We were sure they wouldn't be disappointed.